Student Julia Bingman works in the Methodist Theological School's community garden. The Delaware County seminary is considering installing solar panels to save hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

Churches follow bible of green -

Going green saved First English Lutheran Church.

"It's the reason we were able to survive for many years," said John Fetters, a longtime member
of the congregation at 1015 E. Main St. on the Near East Side. "It's because we were poor. We still
are."

Fetters estimated that $100,000 has been saved since he signed on as the church's energy manager
29 years ago. Though he no longer holds that title, the practices that he helped establish -- using
fans instead of air conditioning on cool summer nights, installing energy-efficient light bulbs --
continue to lower the church's carbon footprint, he said.

Churches have been going green for years because many see it as a way of carrying out
environmental stewardship by caring for God's Earth.

Since 2008, Interfaith Power and Light has worked with more than 100 churches across the state
to lower their energy bills.

"If you can save a lot of money while doing the right thing, it's a no-brainer," Hitzhusen
said.

Energy Star, a joint effort by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of
Energy, offers go-green guidance to congregations on how to lower costs.

Jerry Lawson, the program's national manager, said what makes churches different from other
buildings is their focus on moral stewardship.

Even congregations with little interest in the environment can be enticed by the prospect of
saving money during tough economic times, he said.

Stephen Ahearne-Kroll, a professor for the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, said the
Delaware County seminary would like to install solar panels by next year. He made the proposal in
April, and the response has been positive.

"The reason from a seminary point of view is to preserve resources as much as possible," he
said. "The catalyst is the economy."

By installing the panels, Ahearne-Kroll expects the school to save hundreds of thousands of
dollars each year. The estimated cost of the panels is $9 million.

Initial changes don't have to be expensive, Hitzhusen said. An average church can save about 10
percent on electricity bills by installing energy-efficient light bulbs and turning off lights when
the building is closed. Because many churches are old and leaky, sometimes caulk or insulation will
do the trick.

Dave Dicke, facilities manager for Upper Arlington Lutheran Church, 2300 Lytham Rd., said his
church saved about $18,000 last year on electricity and gas bills by switching to energy-efficient
light bulbs and closing the main building on Fridays and Saturdays.

"We had to find ways to cut back to do the things we needed to do," he said.

The money his church saves is put to better use, such as mission trips abroad, Dicke said.

About 1,500 congregations of all faiths have joined the Energy Star program, and the number is
growing, Lawson said. Seven are in central Ohio.

A church is "one of our most influential institutions," Lawson said. "It's a wonderful place to
put all this information about environmental stewardship."